Could Never Forget you
by HyperVyper12
Summary: "Are you sure?" The young octopus asked. The shark sighed. "Trust me kid, the only friend worth having is yourself. Anyone else...untrustworthy. Betrayer. Forgettable."
1. Chapter 1

**Howdy howdy howdy! I am now obsessed with a certain Disney Movie that is only my life now. rip me**

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Sunlight streamed through the water, casting a glow on the soft sands below. The sound of laughter could be heard as small fish and sea creatures chased each other around the underwater glade. Seaweed drifted in the current as a small surgeonfish darted through the waving fronds. A huge smile on her face, and humming occasionally, she swam to her favorite spot, at the edge of the undertow. Everything was perfect. She was finally with her parents, her friends, and life couldn't be better.

Gazing out at the blue sea beyond, she remembered how she had talked with one of her friends, a worrisome clownfish, at the very same spot a few days ago. He was right - She did have the tendency to... _wander,_ she thought, was a better word than 'get lost', when she was over by the edge. At least...she thought they had had that conversation. Ever since finding her parents, however, the surgeonfish found that she was able to remember things clearer and faster.

"Family is a miracle," she said aloud.

There was a sudden swishing sound. The yellow and blue fish jerked upwards, and quickly turned to find the source of the noise.

"Kid - Eh, _Dory._ Marlin and Nemo are wondering where you are."

Dory smiled as a seven-armed octopus burst out of the kelp behind her. He shook a piece of seaweed off of his head, and crawled over to where she was floating.

"Hey, Hank! Pretty view, huh?

Hank briefly turned to look at the view, and immediately turned back to look at her. "Class has ended. Marlin wants to talk to you. He didn't say why - But he sounded pretty serious." Dory stared at the septopus in confusion.

"Is he okay? Is Nemo okay? I thought he was so relaxed now that everything's back to normal." Marlin, the clownfish, had been a lot less irritable now that things were finally settling down. He had become good friends with Dory's parents, and they loved to talk about the adventures Marlin had - Though Dory had seen Marlin cringe many times while explaining some of the...not pretty parts of the journey.

"Dory? DORY!"

Dory whipped around, realizing she had started gazing off into the distance again. Hank was looming above her, looking frustrated. With a start, she realized she had forgotten what Hank wanted. "Heh...Uh, want did you need again?" Dory asked sheepishly. Hank sighed.

"Just...go see Marlin. He wanted to talk to you."

"Thanks!" Dory hugged the septopus and swam off.

...

Swimming in the cove where she, Marlin, Nemo, and her parents lived, Dory realized there was no-one in sight. Drifting uncertainly toward Marlin's anemone, she listened when she heard a voice come from the shelter.

"Nemo, please go! I told you, I'm having a grown-up talk with Dory."

"What? I'm practically all grown up!"

"Son, why don't you go talk to Mr. and Mrs. Tang? I'm sure they'd love to hear more about how brave you were when you were captured."

"Fine..." A small, dejected clownfish swam out of the anemone, passing by Dory. Dory waved, and Nemo smiled slightly and waved back. Dory giggled as she watched the small fish swim to her parents' house.

"Dory?" Marlin asked. Dory gasped slightly, and turned to Marlin. "Oh, hi, Marlin! Wait...what did I come here for?"

Marlin answered, "I...need to talk to you." He gestured over to her home. "It'd be easier to talk there."

Dory nodded, and followed the clownfish to her home.

"So, what's this about? Are you alright?" Dory asked. Marlin shook his head, and gazed out the door to the ocean beyond.

Finally speaking after a moment, he said, "Dory...Things, well, just haven't been the same since my wife and eggs...passed away." His voice choked up slightly. "For so long, I could only think about Coral and the kids who would have been." Dory, realizing that this was something serious, drifted closer to Marlin. He didn't seem to mind. "That just...kind of plagued my life - not the thought of my wife and children - but the constant weariness and guilt and stress."

"Wow...Marlin, I-I'm so sorry..." Marlin interrupted her by holding up a fin.

"But...then you came along. You helped me find the son so dear to me, and you did what you thought was impossible at first - Finding your parents. But look! You did, and I...well, I owe you so much. You've just...helped me see that life, even though it can take away, gives many opportunities to bring new life." He stared lovingly in the direction where Nemo had left. "...Thank you, Dory."

Dory was shocked. "M-Marlin, I don't think I really deserve that. I mean-"

"Dory, you _do_ deserve it. I want to stress that when-ever it comes up."

Dory stared at Marlin, but her face suddenly broke out into a grin. "Y'know, I could say the same for you. Without you and Nemo, I never could have found my parents!" She said happily.

Marlin smiled as well. "Thank you for letting me get that off my chest. I'm sorry if I got too emotional-" He blushed. Dory laughed.

"Nah, it's fine! Just keep swimming, okay?"

"Of course."

Dory smiled, but as she turned to leave, she noticed a strange expression that appeared for half a second, so quick she wasn't sure if she actually saw it, on Marlin's face. It looked like...disappointment. Like he had wished she said something different. But what?

Dory, deciding she was getting to worked up over something small, just shrugged and swam away to find Destiny.


	2. Chapter 2

Marlin slowly swam out of Dory's home, thinking over what he had just said. Why did he have to get so...serious and emotional around Dory? He didn't want to spoil her fun and happiness, and he definitely didn't want to plague her with his problems. Why did he have to tell her? Marlin sighed, feeling his cheeks grow hot with embarrassment. _I guess I just want to make up for all the times I've snapped at her. It's not her fault she has a memory problem._ He cringed as he remembered how he had yelled at her for indirectly injuring Nemo, and how hurt she had been. He hoped she had felt better ever since he had told her how amazing she had been when finding her parents. Dory had certainly made his life much more interesting, and Nemo loved her. Marlin owed so much to her.

 _Just keep swimming..._

 _Just keep swimming..._

Why had Marlin felt slightly disappointed when she left? What did he wish she had said?

Shaking his head, Marlin dismissed the thought from his mind, and swam over to Dory's parents' house. He could hear a childish voice proudly describing events of his past, while voices of two older fish chuckled and occasionally asked questions. Marlin swam over to the entrance of the home and cleared his throat. "Nemo! Bedtime soon!"

Laughing as he heard a dejected _aww_ come from inside, his son swam out, waving a farewell to Mr. and Mrs. Tang.

"Please come back soon, Nemo!" Jenny, Dory's mother, called, as Charlie, Dory's father nodded. Nemo grinned and waved again, and swam quickly to catch up with his father, who was swimming back towards their home.

"Why do you always have to drag me away when I'm having fun?" Nemo whined. Marlin smiled.

"I don't mean to do it on purpose, son. But you need rest."

Nemo gave a long, loud sigh, but didn't argue further, as he swam back to their home in the anemone.

...

Marlin quietly swam out of the anemone, careful not to wake up Nemo, who had just fallen asleep. He headed towards the clearing where Dory, Destiny and Bailey were playing tag. A current caught him as Bailey swam by, and he yelped, steadying himself. He opened his eyes to see a huge eye right in front of him.

" _Ahh!_ " he screamed, jerking backwards. The eye belonged to the whale shark in front of him, and she laughed hysterically.

"Dory, your friend is so funny!" she giggled.

Dory swam over. "He is, isn't he?" she said, grinning at Marlin. Marlin sighed, his heart rate going back to normal.

"Oh, by the way, Destiny..." The surgeonfish drifted over and lightly tapped the whale shark, "You're it!" Destiny smiled and chased after Dory, who quickly swam away, Bailey following her.

"Wait!" Marlin called. "Dory, it's getting dark!"

"Okay?" Dory called back, grabbing on to one of Bailey's flippers as he swam away from Destiny. Marlin quickly followed them.

"I'm saying, it's dangerous when it's dark! We need to head home!" yelled Marlin. Dory let go of Bailey as swam over to Marlin.

"I guess you're right..." she said, sounding dejected. Marlin touched her fin lightly.

"It's alright that you want to keep playing, but I want to make sure you three are safe." Bailey and Destiny, realizing their cue, called a good-bye to Dory and swam away in the direction of their homes. Dory waved, and turned to Marlin. He smiled and swam back in the direction of the cove.

"I hope I didn't make you...uh, uncomfortable when I talked to you earlier," Marlin commented. Dory nodded, but she looked slightly confused.

"Where did Bailey and Destiny go?" she asked. "Oh, duh," she suddenly said, slapping herself, "They must have gone home. Oh wow, is it dark already?" She glanced up at the surface.

Marlin just smiled, looking at her. She was a gorgeous fish, he realized. She was such a beautiful shade of blue, and the curve of her fins were perfect -

"I'm gonna say goodnight to parents, okay?" Dory suddenly asked.

"That's fine," Marlin answered. Dory smiled at him and swam off to her parents' home. Marlin quietly slipped back into the anemone and laid down, watching his son sleep. Nemo's quiet, steady breathing calmed him, and soon, he fell asleep too.


	3. Chapter 3

**I had a friend's help in this chapter.**

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Hank stared out of the entrance to his cave, scowling as he heard the laughter of small fish. The little rascals had no idea how dangerous the ocean could be, and they would swim around like there was nothing better in the world. Thinking over his whole experience with Dory, he wondered how hard he would have had to push to stay in the truck to go to Cleveland. Was the ocean really worth it, with all its danger and peril? It didn't help that he was the one to teach the little monsters. Hank hoped that Mr. Ray would come back soon, so he wouldn't have to worry about being poked and prodded by little fins all day long. Just his luck that Dory had immediately offered to the eagle ray that Hank would be a great teacher. Obviously, he wasn't! And he didn't care either.

Hank was jerked out of his thoughts when he saw out of the corner of his eye, a young flame angelfish spin towards him, having been playing tag with her friends. Landing on the edge of the cave entrance, she looked around, and suddenly caught Hank's stony glare. Gasping in alarm, the angelfish darted out of the cave and joined her friends, slightly uneasy. Hank sighed, knowing he had been too rough. He was extra grumpy ever since he had arrived at the reef.

 _You know, for a guy with three hearts, you're not very nice!_ Hank winced. He had heard similar things targeted at him at the institute from other creatures before Dory had even showed up. He usually didn't care - why should he care what other fish thought of him? But hearing it from Dory...she probably didn't even remember saying it. Everyone other than Dory just knew him as Hank the grump.

 _Race you to the edge of the cliff!_

 _Oh, you are SO on!_

He sighed.

Yawning, Hank realized the water was brighter, so he must have been asleep longer than he thought. He crawled out of the cave, sighing. Another day of teaching. Stretching his seven tentacles, he headed to the cove, knowing he only had a short amount of time to get ready before the fish came. Huh...what to do today...

"Hey Hank!" A voice jerked him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Dory swimming at full speed towards him. Knowing it was too late for him to duck, he closed his eyes and braced for impact.

"Hank? You can open your eyes now!"

Hank opened his eyes, blinking as he looked down at Dory. The little surgeonfish was grinning up at him, light dancing in her eyes. Hank looked down at her with tired eyes. He was feeling quite reluctant to endure yet another one-sided conversation with his freckle faced companion.

"Ready to start the day? 'Cause I sure am!" Dory said, continuing to beam.

"...No..."

Shrugging off Hank's skeptical attitude, Dory continued, "Won't it be so much fun to teach the kids today? And you'll be able to-"

"...No..."

Dory looked slightly confused, but suddenly got the message that Hank didn't want to talk. The septopus and surgeonfish swam to the main cove, where families had already started to gather. Kids were chattering excitedly and they gathered in the center, waiting for their teacher. Dory waved when she spotted Nemo and Marlin. The two sea creatures swam down into the cove. Hank let out an inward sigh as the inevitable poking and milling around him started.

"Alright, is everyone here?" Hank called. The young fish, realizing class was starting, immediately formed a line.

"Thank you kids, that's very helpful," Hank said. "Now, I told you yesterday we were going to learn about the currents, but there was a change of plans, and we are going to study the deep ocean." He said this because he didn't want to teach another boring lesson halfheartedly. It was the least he could do for the class, since they had all groaned when he announced they were going to study currents. He didn't like talking about it that much either.

"So what are we gonna learn? Are we really gonna go to the deep ocean?" Sheldon the seahorse asked. Hank chuckled.

"In your dreams, kid. The deep ocean is way to dangerous to travel to. And we are going to learn why."

Hank turned to the direction of the drop-off. "It will be easier to teach there, since it's less crowded. C'mon," he added as he set of in that direction. The class followed him eagerly, and soon they were all settling down in the sand near the edge.

"Most of the ocean life is found in the deep ocean," Hank started, shifting his tentacles to be more comfortable. "However, it's not a friendly neighborhood down there. The _abyssal zone_ is home to many dangerous predators such as the angler fish, gulper eel, and vampire squid. These predators are all very hostile, and could easily make any of you into a snack. _Tch!_ " he spat, making a snapping noise at Pearl, who had begun to stray from the group. She yelped and quickly swam back to the class, glaring as they snickered. Hank chuckled and continued talking about the different kinds of sea life and how they survive down in the deep.

Time passed surprisingly quickly, and soon it was time to head home. Hank rounded up the fish, leading them back to the main cove.

"...And don't forget, your homework is to ask a parent what they know of abyss life!" Hank reminded. He saw Nemo nod, and remembered how Marlin had told him about Dory's and his encounter with an anglerfish. He was glad he hadn't been there to see it.

Parents soon arrived to pick up their children. "Thank you, Mr. McKracken!" A student called to Hank as she left. He simply nodded and turned to see Dory directly in front of him. He jerked back, surprised, as Dory laughed.

"Hank, you do such a good job with them!" Dory giggled. "They love you!" Hank shrugged sheepishly.

"Only because I'm teaching something they like."

"No, you're an awesome teacher!" Nemo added as he swam up, Marlin behind him. "Plus, your jokes are really funny."

 _Jokes? What jokes?_ Hank thought.

Marlin cast an affectionate glance at his son. "You do a very good job teaching," the clownfish said. "Mr. Ray will be pleased to hear the report when he gets back."

"If he ever does!" Nemo piped up. "I heard from Sheldon he's gonna stay because he likes it more than teaching!"

Dory smiled. "I wouldn't trust what Sheldon says, Nemo," she chuckled. Nemo rolled his eyes.

"Anyways Hank," Dory continued, "Destiny, Bailey and I are going to head to the reef top to look at the view later. Wanna come?"

Hank sighed. He didn't really want to, as he was getting annoyed with how absolutely _wonderful_ the ocean views were, but he felt it would be really rude to say no to that offer. "Alright, I'll see ya later," he finally said.

"Bye!" Dory, Nemo, and Marlin called simultaneously, then looked at each other and laughed. Hank scoffed to himself and headed back to his cave, already in deep thought. It was hard to admit that he had come from the ocean. Everyone knew how dangerous the sea was, but he felt he was the only one who actually cared. His whole lesson had been on how dangerous the ocean was, yet the kids just shrugged it off. How could that make for a good future?

 _Bet you can't make it to that rock!_

 _Bet I can!_

 _Wow, he made it!_

Hank settled down, feeling a nap coming on. He wanted to make sure he would wake up in time to meet with Dory, so he laid down by the cave entrance and watched fish swim through the kelp. A heavy blackness soon pressed down on his eyes, so he closed them and felt himself drift off into sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**I added a lot to this because I decided I didn't talk enough about the backstory in previous chapters. Oh, and Hank has fangs in this story.**

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"Just keep swimming, hm hm hm~" Dory sang as she swam through the reef, feeling happier than she had been in a long time. At least, she thought so. She couldn't really remember. But she could remember how happy she was that all her loved ones were here. Her parents - it was still hard to believe she was actually back with them after so many years. Hank, even though he was grumpy, Dory knew he had a heart of gold, and looked up to him as though he was the big brother she never had. Destiny and Bailey were so fun to play with, and she and Destiny loved to spend almost every moment together telling each other what had happened in their lives while they were separated. Though, Dory didn't remember most of what Destiny had told her. But Bailey! Bailey was so funny, the nerdy beluga was so much more cheerful than he had been when she first met him. Dory guessed it was because he finally had his sonar back, and he was in the great blue again. Overall, life was perfect-

" _Ow!"_

Dory rubbed her head after crashing into something. Looking up, she smiled as she saw the whale shark, Destiny, in front of her. Destiny was looking around, squinting her eyes with a bewildered and apologetic expression as she tried to figure out who she had accidently swam into.

"Destiny, down here! It's me, Dory!" Dory called up to the whale shark. Destiny looked down and finally seemed to focus on the surgeonfish. She smiled wide.

"Dory! So great to see you! Are you headed to the reef top?" she asked. Dory nodded.

"Where's Bailey?" Dory asked. Destiny sighed.

"Oh, he's coming. He kept on stalling me just to see if he can find something interesting with his echolocation. Seriously? It's been weeks since we arrived here!"

Dory giggled, "Aw, you can't blame him. He's just happy to have it back." Apparently, Bailey had been knocked unconscious by something when he was a young whale...He couldn't remember what it was when he finally woke up, as he had been in a coma, and realized he couldn't use his echolocation, making him quite grumpy and boring. He kind of reminded her of Hank, in a way. Speaking of which, where was Hank? He should have...been...here by now? _Wait, what for?_

"Dory?" Destiny asked. Dory shook her head furiously, knowing she had forgotten again.

"...What were we talking about? Sorry, I forgot again..." Dory muttered, fighting back frustrated tears. Destiny sensed the frustration in her voice and swam closer to Dory comfortingly.

"Hey, it's okay! Like your mom is always saying, you don't need to be sorry!" Destiny cooed, trying to get her to calm down. "We were waiting for Bailey and Hank to get here so we can enjoy the view." Dory nodded, smiling slightly.

" _Ooooooooooooooohhh..."_ Dory glanced around, then looked behind Destiny, and waved to the beluga swimming their way. Bailey grinned when he saw Dory and Destiny, and waved back.

"I'm here!" he called, swimming over. "And boy, does it feel good to have my wonderful gift back! Did you know that echolocation is in fact -" Destiny cut him off.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure we know," she huffed. "Look, I know you're excited, but we don't need to hear about your sonar _every single second."_

Bailey shrugged. "What-ever you saw, Des," he grinned, not planning to stop talking about it at all. "By the way, is Hank going to get here any time soon? I'm ready to see some awesome views!"

Dory looked around. Hank really should have been here by now, it was getting late. "Y'know guys," she said, "he seemed really tired when I talked to him earlier. I bet he's napping at his home! Let's go get him!" Dory immediately took off in Hank's direction.

"Destiny! Bailey! C'mon!" she called behind her. She heard the shark and whale sigh, but follow her nonetheless.

...

"Hank! Hank?" Dory called when she neared Hank's cave. The sound of snoring greeted her, and she laughed, swimming over the cave entrance. She was met with a funny sight: Hank was fast asleep (He must have been more tired than she thought!) and was rolled on his side, muttering something. Dory could hear Destiny and Bailey outside, waiting for her, so she swam over to the septopus to wake him up.

"Hank? Wakey wakey!" she called softly. Hank just shifted in his sleep.

"Mm...stop, I can...do it tomorrow, Mom..." Hank mumbled. Dory looked at him in surprise. She didn't know he was one to talk in his sleep. Marlin had told her that she talked in her sleep, but she certainly didn't expect _Hank,_ of all fish, to do it too. She wondered, for the first time, if he had a family he knew of. Hank had never once mentioned his family, and she faintly recalled him remarking to her about how she was lucky she had short-term memory loss because...the thought slipped out of her mind. She floated there for a moment, pondering Hank's background.

"Dory?" Bailey called softly. "Can you wake him up?"

"Oh, right, sorry." Dory carefully prodded the seven-armed octopus, gently because she knew very well he didn't like to be touched. Hank writhed slightly, but eventually let out a huge yawn, showing a mouth full of sharp fangs from underneath his tentacles. He blinked open his eyes, widening them when he saw Dory.

" _Dory!"_ he shouted, getting up. "Don't scare me like that, kid!"

"Sorry," Dory muttered sheepishly. "You were gonna come with us to the reef top, remember?" She was actually quite proud to remember that's where they were headed.

Hank sighed loudly. "Alright, alright. I'm coming." He rubbed his eyes. "Just...don't do that ever again, okay?"

"Okay!" Dory said, feeling cheerier. She darted out of the cave in front of Bailey and Destiny, Hank following her.

"Alright, we're ready to go!" she cheered.

"Let's go!" Destiny called, and the four friends swam off to the reef top, Dory in the lead, the surgeonfish still wondering about Hank's family...even he even had one.


	5. Chapter 5

"Can I stay up late tonight? Please? _Please?_ "

"Son, it's bad for your health!"

"I promise I'll sleep in!"

"For the last time, _no._ " Nemo huffed and swam to the opposite side of the anemone. Marlin just sighed and, calling a good-bye to his son, swam off in the direction of Jenny and Charlie's home. Nemo hadn't been getting much sleep lately, and it was taking a toll on his mood, and, Marlin feared, his health. Dory loved to stay up late, playing with Nemo, but Nemo would be a crab (No pun intended) in the morning. A brief feeling of annoyance at Dory flashed through him, but he quickly pushed it away, feeling guilty. Dory wasn't doing anything wrong. At least, she didn't mean to do anything wrong. It was one of the things Marlin loved about her, but also got on his nerves.

Another flash of guilt. He shouldn't get so annoyed with Dory. She had such a optimistic view on life that had helped him find both her and Nemo, and her "Just keep swimming" catchphrase wasn't getting on his nerves that often anymore.

But what about all the times he had snapped at her?

Marlin glanced around, and realized he had taken a wrong turn from the Tang's home. Quickly, he turned around, and swam to their coral house. He knew Jenny and Charlie had wanted to talk with him more about how Dory had been all those years, and honestly, he liked it too, which was surprising to him. At first, he had never wanted to think about the perilous journey to find his son, but know that he thought about it, it was remarkable what he and Dory had to go through, and they survived.

Marlin swam around a large rock, and found himself in the cove of the Tang's home. He swam closer and called out a greeting.

"Hello?" Two adult surgeonfish swam out of the coral.

"Why hello Marlin!" Jenny smiled, as Charlie affectionately patted Marlin on the back. "How are you?"

Marlin smiled back and said, "Oh, the usual. Life is pretty good."

"We were just thinking of taking a swim," Charlie said. "Would you like to join us?"

"I'd love to."

...

"My goodness! I never would have thought how to get out of a whale!" Jenny gasped. Marlin chuckled.

"It's all thanks to Dory," he continued, "I thought we were goners." Charlie and Jenny glanced at each other, their eyes shining in admiration for their daughter.

"So tell me again," Charlie asked as they swam along the busier part of the main town, nestled on the edge of the reef, "You actually encountered an _anglerfish?_ " He shuddered. "I never would have had the guts to confront it." Jenny laughed.

"Oh, I knew you would find a way," she smiled. Charlie squeezed her fin. They both looked so happy and content that Marlin could not help smiling as well.

"I certainly love this town!" Charlie commented, looking around at all the homes and fish. "Everyone seems so happy here, and things flow along so nicely."

"It is great. I love it here." Marlin remembered another neighborhood that he found right after Nemo was taken. Everyone was in such a hurry, they had no time to stop and help anyone. Remembering that was the neighborhood he first met Dory in, he wondered how hurtful fish had been to her as she asked around, looking for her parents.

Jenny's voice interrupted him from his thoughts. "Thank you so much for showing us around and telling us about your past adventures. We need to go now, but we hope we can talk again soon!"

Marlin nodded. "Thank you too." Jenny and Charlie waved goodbye, and set off in the direction of their cove.

Marlin decided that he wanted to stay a little bit longer in the neighborhood, admiring the view and the beautiful designs of coral and shells fish had decorated their homes with. _Dory would love this,_ he thought when he spotted a row of purple shells hanging from kelp on the entrance to a cave. He should have invited Dory along...It was nice to talk with her, even though she would quickly forget what they were talking about. Her short term memory loss could be amusing, but had also bugged him in the past.

Wincing, Marlin remembered uncomfortably times when he had yelled and chastised her for forgetting so often, when it sidetracked him from finding his son. But it wasn't her fault. Marlin couldn't imagine the stress of always having to be reminded of things. Although, Dory's memory had seemed to be improving lately. Maybe it was being back with her parents.

"Ow!" Marlin was knocked aside by a cardinal fish, seemingly in a great hurry. Suddenly, Marlin realized there was a great commotion going on around him. Fish were quickly darting around, some going to their homes, and some headed towards the drop-off of the town.

"Excuse me? What's going on?" he asked a small damselfish swimming beside him. She turned and looked at him, her eyes wide.

"There's just been a report of a tragedy at the drop-off," she said in a hushed tone. "A couple's eggs have gone missing. Eaten, most likely."

Marlin had an all-too familiar memory hit him as the damselfish swam away.

Waking up in an anemone, darting outside, swimming down to the crevice...they were gone. Every single egg...but one. He had cradled the damaged egg in his fins. _Don't worry...nothing will ever hurt you. Daddy's going to protect you...Nemo._

Marlin made himself jerk out of his thoughts. _No no no...don't think about that._ He slowly turned around and started swimming back home.

 _Maybe it wouldn't have happened if they didn't make their home right on the drop-off..._ he thought. _It's a stupid place to have a home. No-fish in their right mind would ever try to raise children near..._ he stopped.

 _So Coral, when you said you wanted an ocean view, you didn't think we would get the WHOLE ocean, did ya?_ he had once said. That one decision, that one decision to raise a family on the drop-off, that decision had been his. Coral had been the one with the doubts. And thanks to his decision, she, along with all the other eggs, were killed. He had never thought of it that way till now.

"My fault..." he murmured. "Coral, I..." He looked up to see he was back in his cove. He could hear Nemo snoring, and saw Dory swimming around the cove, looking bored.

"Oh, hey Marlin!" she called when she saw him. Her expression changed when she saw the depressed look on his face. "What's wrong?"

Marlin, at that moment, realized he wanted to pour out everything to her. Everything about how it was his fault his wife and children were dead, how he was such an awful father...But he couldn't. He just couldn't.

"A couple's eggs were eaten at the drop-off," he said instead. Dory looked at him in horrified shock.

"Oh no! What happened? Are they okay? We have to go tell the others! C'mon, Marli-"

" _No,_ Dory! I need to be alone!" Marlin snapped. He saw the hurt look on Dory's face and immediately cursed himself. _I can't do anything right!_

Without another word, he quickly swam into the anemone and settled down, covering his face with his fins, leaving Dory to stare in bewilderment after him before swimming away to tell the others of the bad news.


	6. Chapter 6

**WOW. JUST WOW. I cannot believe how much support this story is getting! Thank you guys so much!**

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"Mom, Dad? _Mom!_ " Dory yelled as she darted into her parents' home. Jenny and Charlie were talking, but they looked up in alarm as Dory frantically swam over.

"Honey, what happened? Are you all right?" Jenny asked in concern. Dory shook her head, determined to keep the message in her head. She was surprised that she had been able to hold the thought in her head that long.

"No no, Mom, Dad, listen! A-A couple's been eaten! Wait, no, their eggs ate them-No no, someone ate their eggs!" Dory yelled. Her parents looked at each other in horror.

"Oh, how awful!" Jenny gasped. "Dory, are you sure?"

"M-Marlin told me! He...told me that..." The thought was slipping from her mind. "Um...h-he said that...hold on..." Dory put her fins to her head and groaned. Why could she never remember at important times like these? No wonder Marlin had gotten angry. Wait, he had? She suddenly remembered. He had! He had swam into the cove, looking upset, and she...had asked him what was wrong. Then he yelled at her...Wait, why?

"Yeah! The couple's eggs at the drop-off were eaten!" Dory remembered. "We have to help them!"

Her parents looked at each other. "Dory, Honey, how are we supposed to help?" Charlie asked gently. "The couple's eggs are long gone, and they are probably grieving right now."

"Well, then maybe we should cheer them up!" Dory was about to dart out of the coral, but Jenny swam in front of her, putting her fins on Dory's cheeks.

"Oh Dory, you are such a blessing in that you want to help others so much," Jenny explained gently, "But some problems can't be solved overnight. And some shouldn't, either. It's best to let them grieve and recover on their own, instead of barging into their home and trying to cheer them. It's probably best," she added quickly as Dory opened her mouth to protest, "that we come over later and say our apologies."

"We might not know them," Charlie added, "But that doesn't mean we should ignore their tragedy."

Dory frowned. "But we should at least warn everybody, right? Spread the news o-of how dangerous it is to have eggs at the drop-off? I'll go tell the others!" She immediately turned around and swam out the entrance.

"We shouldn't alarm everyone-" Charlie started, but Dory didn't hear him, as she was already headed off to where Bailey and Destiny lived.

...

"Destiny? Bailey?" Dory called as she neared the surface. She poked her head out of the water and saw the rocky cliffs where Bailey had made his home. He slept close to the surface so he could breathe at night. Destiny lived a short ways down from him, deeper in the rocks. Dory immediately ducked under the water and swam over to the base of the cliffs.

"Dory?" Dory heard Bailey's voice. The beluga emerged out from under an underwater overhang. "Is that you? Oh, wait," he added to himself, chuckling, "I already knew that." He tapped his head. "What're you here for?" Dory swam up to the whale.

"Bailey! Spread the message! I can't keep the spread of the drop-off near the homes-No, I need to spread the word to keep the homes away from the drop-off!" she said in a rush.

Bailey stared at her in confusion. "Uhh...can you say that again? Spread the word about _what?_ " he asked.

"T-there's-um, a couple at the drop-off-they ate their eggs! Wait, no, their eggs got eaten! It's too dangerous to have a home at the edge of the drop-off, because that's where all the predators are! Spread the word!" Dory yelled.

"Whoa, calm down!" Bailey held up his flippers. "Someone's eggs got eaten? Wow, that's terrible...Destiny!" He called.

"Destiny! Where is she? I have to tell her too! And Hank, and the neighbors-" Dory spun in circles, looking for Destiny, until Bailey stopped her with his flipper.

" _Ooooooooooooooooh..._ Oh! There she is! Destiny's by the kelp forest!" Bailey turned and swam down off the ledges, sending powerful currents that almost knocked Dory over as she followed him.

"Destiny?" Bailey called when they arrived. A huge head poked out of the kelp.

"Hi Bailey! Hi Dory! Watcha need?" the whale shark asked. Dory explained in a fast pace, desperate to keep everything in her memory.

"Oh no! That's terrible!" Destiny gasped when Dory finished. "But...we can't just swim up to the fish living along the edge and tell them to move! They have a home there!"

Dory couldn't understand. "And their homes will be gone if they don't move! All those poor fish!"

Bailey gently cupped Dory in his flippers. "Woah, calm down, Dory. I'm sure it will be all right. I mean, these things happen. The ocean isn't exactly a safe place. Plus," he added, "You've been living with Marlin and Nemo for a year, and there haven't been any reports in the area of eggs going missing."

Dory took a few deep breaths, trying to process what Bailey was saying. Thoughts were flying through her head, coming as fast as they left, but the clear danger remained in her mind.

"I'll go tell Hank," she decided. "He lives close by. Remember guys, spread the word!" Dory called as she took off. Bailey and Destiny looked at each other uncertainly, but called out a good-bye.

...

Swimming into Hank's cove, Dory realized Hank might be asleep. She vaguely remembered him telling her not to wake him up by surprise...but this was important! Quietly, she drifted over to the cave entrance, but stopped when she didn't see him. She was about to turn and leave, when she heard a voice say, "Dory...what is it?" Dory swam back over to the cave as Hank appeared out of the sand, having been camouflaged.

"Oh, thank goodness Hank! You need to spread this news! The drop-off is way to dangerous to have a home there, and a couple's eggs were eaten there! All the fish there! They're all in danger! You have to help me tell them to move-"

"Whoa whoa whoa," Hank said, holding up a tentacle. "What's got you all riled up, kid?"

Dory stared at him. "Didn't you hear me? The fish there! They could lose their eggs!"

Hank shrugged. "Fish lose eggs all the time. Nothin' to lose your scales over." Dory couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Hank, please listen! If we don't tell those families to move away from the drop-off, their eggs could be eaten too! We-" Hank cut her off again.

"DORY, it's late. I'm tired. Stuff like that just happens, and there's nothing we can do about it. Besides, it's not my problem," he added gruffly.

"But-"

"Dory!"

"...Alright..." Dejected, Dory swam back towards her home cove. She faintly heard Hank mutter something about 'excitable young fish' and 'sticking her nose into other fishes' business', but she was too tired to care.

On the way back, Dory reflected on how no-one seemed to want to help. _Why not? Doesn't the safety of the reef matter?_ She sighed, but looked up again when she heard her name being called.

"Dory? Dory, there you are." Jenny swam out from behind a large rock. "Why so down in the dumps?"

"Mom, nobody cares," Dory muttered miserably. "I can't get anybody to listen." Jenny gave her daughter a comforting smile.

"Not everybody thinks the same way, honey. You just gotta let that go. C'mon, let's go to my house. You can spend the night there."

Dory protested, "But Mom-If I try again-" but Jenny interrupted, "Sweetheart, time to come inside." She swam into the coral home, Dory following.


	7. Chapter 7

**I just want to say, I didn't come up with the name Elliot on my own. I got it from someone on Tumblr who's name I think was...Scorpiodad.**

 **I could be wrong.**

* * *

 _"Sweetheart, time to come inside!"_

 _"Oof!"_

 _A young sea creature writhed in the sand, tripping when his mother surprised him. Finally righting himself, it was clear he was a baby octopus - all eight red tentacles. He shook his head and cast big, blue, innocent eyes onto his mother, sitting in the entrance to a rocky overhang. His mother smiled warmly._

 _"Honey, aren't you excited? You'll get to meet new fish and make new friends!" she said._

 _The baby octopus said nothing, but nonetheless followed his mother into their home. It was quite complex inside the overhang - there were many tunnels that led to undersea rooms. Turning a sharp corner, the mother octopus slid into a large room, where two other young octopuses who looked slightly older than the baby, were chasing each other._

 _"Urchin! Indigo! Stop playing around and get ready!" the mother called sharply. The two young octopuses immediately stopped and glanced guiltily at each other, then turned and darted out of the room. The mother chuckled, and turned to the baby._

 _"Now, honey, let me make sure there's no sand left on you."_

 _As she fussily prodded him, the baby complained, "Why do I have to make new friends? Why couldn't I just stay with my old friends?" He paused. "Why did we have to leave?"_

 _"Dear, I've told you before, there weren't many kids in the neighborhood to play with. This neighborhood is much larger, and has so many more young fish."_

 _"But I had good friends, even if they wasn't many!" the octoling grumbled in his childish broken English. His mother sighed, and turned over one of his tentacles to make sure there was no sand in his suckers. She opened her mouth to say something, but seemed to think better of it, and silently carried on. The little octoling seemed dissatisfied, but didn't complain any further. Finally, sensing that his mother was done, he wiggled out of her grasp and turned to face her._

 _"Can't I maybe wait a little longer?" he asked. "I don't wanna make new friends! I already have friends!"_

 _"But dear," his mother started, "They are so far away, all the way back on the Oregon coast. It would take as long as it took to travel here to get back and forth."_

 _The baby crossed his arms. "I don't care. I want to see them! They miss me! And I miss them!"_

 _His mother looked at him sympathetically. "I had friends back at our old home too, and I miss them, but think of all the opportunities for new friends we'll have here! She guided him out of the room and back down the hallway. An adult male octopus met them along the way._

 _"Shelly, where are Indigo and Urchin?" he asked the mother in a deep voice. "I've rounded up Elliot and Crimson, but I can't find the other two."_

 _"You always love to keep an eye on your children, Abyss," the mother octopus said fondly. "I think they headed towards - Oh, there they are," she said as she spotted the young grayish and blue octopuses. "Elliot! Crimson!" A redish-orange octopus who, though young, looked mature, almost an adult, poked his head out of a room and slid out, followed by a slightly younger red octopus, about the same color as the baby._

 _"Well, looks like we're all here!" Abyss commented, looking around at his family. "And how are you, youngster?" he said, glancing down at his baby son. "Ready to meet some new fish?"_

 _The octoling looked down and muttered something that sounded like, "I don't know..."_

 _"I'll take that as a yes," Abyss decided. "Well, everyone ready? Let's go meet our neighbors!"_

 _..._

 _Swimming through the neighborhood, the octopus family seemed in awe of the tropical beauty around them. It wasn't like that back where they used to live, so it was a new experience for all of them. Even the baby seemed to enjoy it._

 _Finally, they settled down on a sandy patch in an open cove, where many families of fish, crustaceans, and other sea creatures were milling about, the adults talking and the children playing. The young octoling looked around, fearful of the large crowds and the noise._

 _"I wanna go home, Mommy," he whispered to his mother._

 _His mother gave him a small pat on the back, and said, "You'll be fine, honey. Remember, just be yourself, and you're bound to make friends in no time."_

 _Looking around, the baby realized his siblings had all excitedly left to go talk to new fish. He glanced up fearfully at his mother, silently giving her one last plea to leave. She shook her head, but suddenly, her eyes brightened as she saw something._

 _"Honey, look over there!" She nudged him, turning his gaze over to a patch of sea grass where four octopuses that looked to be around his age were playing tag._

 _"Why don't you start there? Introduce yourself, ask them what they're doing, and then ask if you can join them, okay?"_

 _"Wait, Mommy - " The baby turned around and saw that his mother had already started to swim over to a group of adults, leaving him on his own. Nervously, he looked around, and then slowly crawled over to the group of baby octopuses._

 _The four octopuses didn't notice the new arrival at first, but when they saw him coming, they immediately froze where they where and stared at him in silence._

 _The red octoling looked around at the four, almost shaking in fear. His gut told him to flee back to his parents, but he knew they would just bring him back. Taking a deep breath, he started._

 _"H-hi. I'm new to this neighborhood. My name is - "_

 _"OOH!" One of the young octopuses, a dark red female, darted over to him and circled him. "My mum told me we had new neighbors! Cool! You're not from around here, are you? What's your favorite color? What's your favorite food? Mine is crab!" she said in an excited rush._

 _"Uh, um..."_

 _"Don't mind her." Another octoling, a purple male, swam over and pushed the excited female away. "She's always like that. Are you okay?"_

 _The red octoling was at a loss for words._

 _"By the way, I'm Scallop," the purple male continued._

 _"I'm Sandy!" the dark red female exclaimed, grinning. She pointed to another one of the octolings, a pink female. "That's Anemone, but we call her Annie to annoy her. So you should call her that."_

 _"Hey!" Anemone snapped._

 _"And I'm Squibs!" The last baby octopus, an orange male, crawled over. "Hi!"_

 _"Do you want to join our game?" Sandy asked._

 _The red octoling looked around. The four other octolings were looking at him expectantly, waiting for an answer. With a start, he realized he had just made new friends already. His mother was right!_

 _"Sure, I'll join!" he said, grinning happily. "Oh, by the way, my name's Hank."_


End file.
